Death of boy (12) from sepsis prompts procedures change

Every hospital in New York must adopt aggressive procedures for identifying sepsis in patients, including the use of a countdown clock to begin treatment within an hour of spotting it, New York governor Andrew Cuomo has said.

The initiative was prompted by the case of Rory Staunton (12) who died of severe septic shock after being sent home from the emergency room at New York University Langone Medical Center.

Rory, the son of Irish immigrants Ciarán and Orlaith Staunton and the nephew of publisher Niall O'Dowd, had fallen and grazed his elbow in his school gym last year.

The new steps in identifying sepsis, it is claimed, could save 5,000-8,000 lives annually.

Since Rory's death, his family has started the Rory Staunton Foundation to try to prevent others from dying of sepsis.